Customer surveys by The James Co., a Boulder, Colo., builder of luxury townhomes and patio homes, show that area residents value green building practices, so the company's strict job-site recycling program not only demonstrates environmental responsibility, but it also gives the builder a connection with potential home buyers.

On every one of its construction sites, The James Co. requires all superintendents and subcontractors to sort cardboard, metal, wood and trash into recycling bins. It's all done in an unobtrusive way that's invisible from the street.

"The people of Boulder put a lot of emphasis on environmental practices, and our company is Boulder-based, so this program made a lot of sense," says Kristen Lowe, the company's director of marketing. "It's where our roots are."

The James Co. estimates that since beginning the recycling program in January 2000, it has kept more than 750 tons of debris out of area landfills.